Compassion

“Social media is full of people either boasting or complaining!” How many times have you heard that comment? Not exactly true. My news feed on Facebook displayed 12 shares of the same tragic news. A co-worker, a nurse, lost a daughter in an instant. She joins the club not one of us would willingly join. The…

Crisis Averted Times Two

I paused from serving hot dogs to observe a distraught woman, maybe in her late 30’s.  My dishwasher partner, Chris, spoke to her softly,” Go see Sarah-Lynn. She’ll set you up. Don’t worry.” I gave my buddy a quizzical look. He told me the woman was just kicked out of her apartment by her boyfriend…

World Class Dreams

Dreams can come true. Even a dream you’ve had for over twenty years. Let me tell you about my dear friend, Jane. In one word: resilient! I met Jane when I was dating my boyfriend-to-be-husband, Guy. Jane was the girlfriend of Mike, Guy’s best friend.  Jane had previously fled an abusive marriage, taking her two…

Passion for Petunias

Easy Wave Pink Passion Petunias. Who would have known a bunny fancied them? In late spring, my sister planted these particular petunias at my Dad’s request in my parents’ garden. At that time, the petunias were surrounded by a spreading white flower called Snow in Summer. The Snow in Summer died down later leaving several…

Lighten the Load

Golden rod greeted me in the alley near the homeless shelter today. A man I made the acquaintance of last week was telling me why he’s homeless. “I was living with my 95 year old mother and could see no future in that. So I got myself a shared apartment. My first room-mate was a…

Rats, Cats and Owls

My neighbour, Vera, was telling me her latest gardening adventure. She took up gardening since become widowed a few years ago. Steep learning curve. Her zucchini were the “hanging type”. So, she strung them up along her clothesline. Looped the long vine over the clothesline line, the vegetables hanging from it, all neat in a…

Music of Angels

Julianna, the mother of twin blind girls, again sat in the pew in front of me. But, the girls weren’t with her. I was early for mass. After some time passed, the mother rose from her seat, and moved. That’s when I noticed the two daughters, sitting in a pew closest to the choir. Julianna…

Behind Blue Eyes

  “You’ve got the most beautiful blue eyes!…I’d think with eyes like that, doors would open for you!” “Yeah, well, looks can be deceiving. I’m having a rough day.” Her rough day was a lot different than a rough day for you or me. If her friend decided not to let her stay in her…

Natural Order of Things

Well, summer’s fading a bit and so are the sunflowers. I thought I’d outsmart the squirrels. Last year, they’d dart up the stalks of my sunflowers, snap off the heads and run with them across the street. And, knock over the plants in the process. What I decided to do was lop off the heads…

No Nursing Homes, Please!

Two women. One’s about to turn 90, and the other one’s already 91. They’ve lived totally different lives but share something in common. Both are fiercely independent and have no intention of stepping foot inside a nursing home. My Mom turns 90 on the ninth day of the ninth month this year. Mom’s raised six…